Combined safe edge and sight guard for elevator doors



y 7 1957 w. A. NIKAZY 2,791,654

COMBINED SAFE EDGE AND SIGHT GUARD FOR ELEVATOR DOORS Filed May 2, 1955 a Sheets-Sheet 1 fl ;7 I

INVENTOR. ML 75/? ,4. M/(AZY ATTOHAZEYS y 7 1957 w. A. NIKAZY 2,791,654

COMBINED SAFE; EDGE AND smm- GUARD FOR ELEVATOR DOORS Filed May 2, 1955.

3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

WAL 7'51? 4. N/KAZY y 7, 1957 w. A. NIKAZY 2,791,654

COMBINED SAFE EDGE AND SIGHT GUARD FOR ELEVATOR DOORS Filed May 2, 1955 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR.

A ORNE United States T atent 7 COMBINED SAFE EDGE AND SIGHT GUARD FOR ELEVATOR DOQRS Walter A. Nikazy, Toledo, Ohio, assignor to Haughton Elevator Company, Toledo, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application May 2, 1955, Serial N o. 505,25 13 Claims. (Cl. 20i)-=-61.i3)

This invention is an improved safe edge for eicvator doors which functions also as a sight guard. Passenger elevator car doorways and hoistway entrances usually are equipped with laterally sliding doors. The doors may be either of the so-called center opening type, in which the doorways are at the centers of the car and hoistway entrances and pairs of doors slide apart in opposite directions to open the doorways, or they may be of the socalled side opening type, in which the car doorway is at one side of the car and the hoistway entrances are at one side of the hoistway and one or more doors slide to the other side of the car and hoistway to open the doorways.

Side opening doors usually are in pairs, one of the doors of each pair traveling at twice the speed of its companion door so that, while a pair of doors can close a doorway the width of which is nearly two-thirds of the width of a car or hoistway, they overlap when open to occupy slightly more than one-third the width of the car or hoistway.

When a car is standing at a hoistway entrance the car doors are spaced somewhat from the hoistway doors. Hence passengers entering and leaving the car can see into the hoistway unless sight guards are provided to conceal the space between the car doors and the hoistway doors. Such sight guards usually consist of vertical strips, which heretofore have been designed with various cross sectional shapes, which strips are secured to the leading edges of the car doors or the hoistway doors or both and which strips almost completely shut off from view the space between the car doors and the hoistway doors.

In modern elevator systems power operated mechanisms are employed to open doors automatically when cars arrive at hoistway entrances and to close doors before the cars depart. In systems the cars of which have no attendants passengers sometimes attempt to enter or leave after the doors have started to close. To prevent injury to passengers in such circumstances doors often are equipped with sensitive edges and electrical circuits which upon engagement of a sensitive edge with an obstruction inactivate the power operated door closing mechanism or cause it to reverse and reopen the door.

It is an object of this invention to provide a sensitive edge which functions also as a sight guard.

It is a further object to provide a combined safe edge and sight guard, the contour of which blends into the contour of the door upon which it is mounted to provide an edge of pleasing appearance having no projections or clefts that are liable to catch the clothing of persons entering or leave an elevator car.

Another object is to provide a combined safe edge and sight guard which is highly sensitive to touch throughout its entire vertical length.

A further object is to provide a combined safe edge and sight guard the construction of which is such that its impact against a person or other obstruction that it may touch is slight.

Another object is to provide a combined safe edge and sight guard which upon engaging an obstruction permits sufiicient further movement of the body of the door to permit the door to be braked to a gradual stop after the safe edge per se has stopped.

A further object is to provide a combined safe edge and sight guard which is of economical construction and is highly durable.

And still another object is to provide a combined sight guard and safe edge which is inconspicuously pleasing in appearance and which functions at a barely perceptible touch and hence is not liable to frighten or injure persons who get into the way of closing elevator doors.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent upon perusal of the following description as illustrated by the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. i is an elevational view taken from within a passenger elevator car showing a pair of partly closed side opening doors equipped with the combined safe edge and sight guard of this invention, parts being broken out to reduce the height of the figure, and the floor, sides and roof of the car being shown in section.

Fig. It is an elevational view on an enlarged scale showing the elevator doors as seen from the outside of the car, parts at one corner of the door being broken away to display a detail of the combined sate edge and sight guard of this invention and parts being broken out to reduce the height of the figure.

Fig. III is a sectional View on an enlarged scale taken as indicated by the lines iii-lil of Fig. Ii.

Fig. IV is a view similar to Fig. it but showing the safe edge engaging an obstruction and the doors stopped at a partialy closed position.

Fig. V is a view similar to Fig. Iii but with the parts shown in the positions they assume when the sale edge engages an obstruction.

Fig. V1 is an elevational view taken from the outside of the car illustrating the parts shown in Pig. V.

Fig. VII is a view similar to Fig. H but showing the device of the instant invention in modified form.

Fig. Viil is a fragmentary bottom plan view on an enlarged scale taken as indicated by the arrows VIli-Viil on Fig. VII showing the modified form when the sensitive edge is not engaged by an obstacle; and,

Fig. IX is a View similar to Fig. VIII but showing the parts in the positions that they assume when the sensitive edge is engaged by an obstacle.

The following description and the accompanying drawings are to be taken as illustrative of the invention but are not to impose limitations on its scope.

In the form of device shown in Figs. 1 to V! inclusive the elevator car 1ft is equipped with side opening doors 11 and 12 which are moved in the same direction by electric motor operated mechanism that is well known in the art and that is not part of this invention and therefore is not shown or described herein.

The leading door 11 is equipped with a combined safe edge and sight guard comprising a vertically elongated member 13 which extends along substantially the entire edge of the door and is hinged preferably by means of a piano hinge 14 to a strip 15 fixedly secured to the door. The vertically elongated member 13 may be formed with a groove 16 in which a flexible tube 17 of rubber or other soft material is mounted by means of an angle strip 18 and rivets 19 or other suitable fasteners. The purpose of the tube 17 is that of a cushion to minimize any possibility that a person bumping against the safe edge may be bruised. Supported by the free side of the vertically elongated member 13 are one or more plates 29 which may be located at any desired place along the vertically elongated member 13 and are articulated therewith by means of hinges 21. The plates 29 may be of any desired vertical dimension up to the height of the door.

aromas The plate has a flange 22 that extends toward the door 11 and that engages a bumper 23 when the parts are in their normal position. The bumper 23 is mounted on the door 11 by means of a bracket 24 fixed to or integral with a base 25 which is secured to the door 11 in any preferred manner. Also mounted on the bracket 24 is a second bumper 26 which limits the movement of the member 13 when the member 13 is displaced from normal position by engagement of the member 13 or the cushion 17 with an obstruction (see Fig. V).

The vertically elongated member 13 and the parts carried thereby are yieldably held in their normal posi tions by a spring 27, the ends 28 and 2% of which are Welded or otherwise fixed respectively to the plate 20 and the base 25.

A switch 30 of the well known micro type is mounted on one of the brackets 24 and is equipped with a resilient finger 31 which when the parts are in the position in which they are shown in Fig. III is pressed against the switch button 32 to keep a circuit 33 closed and thus permit the motor operated door closing and opening mechanism to be activated and to function in the same manner as though the door 11 were not equipped with a safe edge. If, however, an obstruction is encountered and the parts are moved even slightly toward the position in which they are shown in Fig. V the finger 31 springs away from the switch button 32 and thus permits the switch 30 to open the circuit 33 and deactivate or reverse the motor operated door closing mechanism.

A simpler and less expensive form of the combined safe edge and sight guard is illustrated in Figs. VII, VIII and IX. In this form of the device the vertically elon gated member 13a has no groove corresponding to the groove 16 and no tube corresponding to the tube 17 of soft material, and the contour of the vertically elongated member 13a is blended into the contour of the plate 20a which is formed integrally with the member 1322. In either form of the device the flange 22a may be formed separately from the plate fixed thereto.

In the form shown in Figs. VII, VIH and IX the vertically elongated member 13a is held in its forward position by a spring 270 having a torsional axis coincident with the axis of a hinge Me by which the number 13:: is pivoted to a strip 15a that is fixed to the door 11a. The base 25a to which the bracket 24a is secured may be integral with the strip 15a. The bumper 26a is shown in Figs. VIII and IX as located in a position slightly different from that in which the bumper 26 is shown in Figs. III and V. The micro switch 36a, the finger 31a, the switch button 32a and the circuit 33a may be identical with the corresponding micro switch finger, button and circuit illustrated in Figs. HI and V.

Because it extends over the space between the leading car door and the leading hoistway door the device of the instant invention functions as a sight guard; because of its lightness, the manner in which it is articulated and the slight relative movement between the door and the safe edge that causes the circuit 33 to open the device functions at a barely perceptible touch and hence is not liable to injure or frighten persons who get into the way of a closing door.

It is to be understood that the foregoing description and the accompanying drawings are exemplary only and that the invention is susceptible to variation and modification within the spirit and scope of the subjoined claims.

Having described the invention, I claim:

1. In a combined safe edge and sight guard for elevator doors, a strip adapted to be secured to the edge of a door, a vertically elongated member hinged to the front edge of said strip and thereby to such door and extending beyond the rear side of such door, said vertically clon gated member being formed with a longitudinally extending groove, a cushion lying along said groove, one or more plates articulated with said member and extending over the margin of the rear side of such door, a base adapted to be fixed to the rear side of such door, a bracket extending rearwardly from said base and thus from such door, bumpers carried by said bracket, a spring fixed to said base, and thereby to such door, said spring yieldably holding said vertically elongated member against movement toward the rear side of such door, a switch supported by said bracket and adapted to close and open a circuit for activating and deactivating door closing mechanism and means for opening and closing said switch upon movement of said vertically elongated member upon its hinge.

2. In a combined safe edge and sight guard for elevator doors, a door, a vertically elongated member hinged to such door and extending beyond the rear side of such door, said vertically elongated member being formed with a longitudinally extending groove, a cushion lying along said groove, one or more plates articulated with said member and extending over the margin of the rear side of such door, a base adapted to be fixed to the rear side of such door, a bracket extending rearwardly from said base and thus from such door, bumpers carried by said bracket, a spring fixed to said base, and thereby to such door, said spring yieldably holding said vertically elongated member against movement toward the rear side of such door, a switch supported by said bracket and adapted to close and open a circuit for activating and deactivating door closing mechanism and means for opening and closing said switch upon movement of said vertically elongated member upon its hinge.

3. In a combined safe edge and sight guard for elevator doors, a strip adapted to be secured to the edge of a door, a vertically elongated member hinged to the front edge of said strip and thereby to such door and extending beyond the rear side of such door, said vertically elongated member being formed with a longitudinally extending groove, a cushion lying along said groove, a base adapted to be fixed to the rear side of such door, a bracket extending rearwardly from said base and thus fro-m such door, bumpers carried by said bracket, a spring fixed to said base, and thereby to such door, said spring yieldably holding said vertically elongated member against movement toward the rear side of such door, a switch supported by said bracket and adapted to close and open a circuit for activating and deactivating door closing mechanism and means for opening and closing said switch upon movement of said vertically elongated member upon its hinge.

4. In a combined safe edge and sight guard for elevator doors, a strip adapted to be secured to the edge of a door, a vertically elongated member hinged to the front edge of said strip and thereby to such door and extending beyondthe rear side of such door, one or more plates articulated with said member and extending over the margin of the rear side of such door, a base adapted to be fixed to the rear side of such door, a bracket extending rearwardly from said base and thus from such door, bumpers carried by said bracket, a spring fixed to said base, and thereby to such door, said spring yieldably holding said vertically elongated member against movement toward the rear side of such door, a switch supported by said bracket and adapted to close and open a circuit for activating and deactivating door closing mechanism and means for opening and closing said switch upon movement of said vertically elongated member upon its hinge.

5. In a combined safe edge and sight guard for elevator doors, a strip adapted to be secured to the edge of a door, a vertically elongated member hinged to the front edge of said strip and thereby to such door and extending beyond the rear side of such door, said vertically elongated member being formed with a longitudinally extending groove, a cushion lying along said groove, one or more plates articulated with said member and extending over the margin of the rear side of such door, a bracket extending rearwardly from such door, bumpers carried by said bracket, a spring fixed to such door, said spring yieldably holding said vertically elongated member against movement toward the rear side of such door, a switch supported by said bracket and adapted to close and open a circuit for activating and deactivating door closing mechanism and means for opening and closing said switch upon movement of said vertically elongated member upon its hinge.

6. In a combined safe edge and sight guard for elevator doors, a strip adapted to be secured to the edge of a door, a vertically elongated member hinged to the front edge of said strip and thereby to such door and extending beyond the rear side of such door sufficiently to conceal space behind such door from persons passing the edge of such door, thus obviating any requirement for a separate sight guard, said vertically elongated member being formed with a longitudinally extending groove, a cushion lying along said groove, one or more plates articulated with said member and extending over the margin of the rear side of such door, a base adapted to be fixed to the rear side of such door, a spring fixed to said base, and thereby to such door, said spring yieldably holding said vertically elongated member against movement toward the rear side of such door, a switch adapted to close and open a circuit for activating and deactivating door closing mechanism and means for opening and closing said switch upon movement of said vertically elongated member upon its hinge.

7. I11 a combined safe edge and sight guard for elevator doors, a door, a vertically elongated member hinged to such door and extending beyond the rear side of such door, said vertically elongated member being formed with a longitudinally extending groove, a cushion lying along said groove, a base adapted to be fixed to the rear side of such door, a bracket extending rearwardly from said base and thus from such door, bumpers carried by said bracket, a. spring fixed to said base, and thereby to such door, said spring yieldably holding said vertically elongated member against movement toward the rear side of such door, a switch supported by said bracket and adapted to close and open a circuit for activating and deactivating door closing mechanism and means for open ing and closing said switch upon movement of said vertically elongated member upon its hinge.

8. In a combined safe edge and sight guard for elevator doors, a door, a vertically elongated member hinged to such door and extending beyond the rear side of such door, one or more plates articulated with said member and extending over the margin of the rear side of such door, a base adapted to be fixed to the rear side of such door, a bracket extending rearwardly from said base and thus from such door, bumpers carried by said bracket, a spring fixed to said base, and thereby to such door, said spring yieldably holding said vertically elongated member against movement toward the rear side of. such door, a switch supported by said bracket and adapted to close and open a circuit for activating and deactivating door closing mechanism and means for opening and closing said switch upon movement of said vertically elongated member upon its hinge.

.9. In a combined safe edge and sight guard for elevator doors, a door, a vertically elongated member hinged to such door and extending beyond the rear side of such door, a base adapted to be fixed to the rear side of such door, a bracket extending rearwardly from said base and thus from such door, bumpers carried by said bracket,

a spring fixed to said base, and thereby to such door, said spring yieldably holding said vertically elongated member against movement toward the rear side of such door, a switch supported by said bracket and adapted to close and open a circuit for activating and deactivating door closing mechanism and means for opening and closing said switch upon movement of said vertically elongated member upon its hinge.

10. in a combined safe edge and sight guard for elevator doors, a door, a vertically elongated member hinged to such door and extending beyond the rear side of such door, a bracket extending rearwardly from such door, bumpers carried by said bracket, a spring fixed to such door, said spring yieldably holding said vertically elongated member against movement toward the rear side of such door, a switch supported by said bracket and adapted to close and open a circuit for activating and deactivating door closing mechanism and means for opening and closing said switch upon movement of said vertically elongated member upon its hinge.

11. In a combined safe edge and sight guard for elevator doors, a door, a vertically elongated member hinged to such door and extending beyond the rear side of such door sufficiently to conceal space behind such door from persons passing the edge of such door, thus obviating any requirement for a separate sight guard, a base adapted to be fixed to the rear side of such door, a spring fixed to said base, and thereby to such door, said spring yieldably hold said vertically elongated member against movement toward the rear side of such door, a switch adapted to close and open a circuit for activating and deactivating door closing mechanism and means for opening and closing said switch upon movement of said vertically elongated member upon its hinge.

12. In a combined safe edge and sight guard for elevator doors, a door, a vertically elongated member hinged to such door and extending beyond the rear side of such door, said vertically elongated member being formed with a longitudinally extending groove, a cushion lying along said groove, a bracket extending rearwardly from such door, bumpers carried by said bracket, a spring fixed to such door, said spring yieldably holding said vertically elongated member against movement toward the rear side of such door, a switch supported by said bracket and adapted to close and open a circuit for activating and deactivating door closing mechanism and means for opening and closing said switch upon movement of said vertically elongated member upon its hinge.

13. In a combined safe edge and sight guard for elevator doors, a door, a vertically elongated member hinged to such door and extending beyond the rear side of such door sufiiciently to hide space behind such door, thus obviating any requirement for a separate sight guard, a spring fixed to such door, said spring yieldably holding said vertically elongated member against movement toward the rear side of such door, a switch adapted to close and open a circuit for activating and deactivating door closing mechanism and means for opening and closing said switch upon movement of said vertically elongated member upon its hinge.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,687,455 Norman Aug. 24-, 1954 

